West Springfield suspend junk dealer's license for 1 month

WEST SPRINGFIELD - The License Commission imposed a one-month suspension of a junk dealer's license held by a Main Street business.

Police said at a public hearing yesterday that they would prefer to see the store closed permanently.

Game Hunter II, 532 Main St. will not be allowed to operate its second-hand electronics shop through June 20.

Owner disputes testimony

The owner of the business, Vien Ba Nguyen, said the police were unfair and disputed the testimony of the two officers.

At the hearing, Detective Michael Reed said police had been to the store numerous times and found that Nguyen was not keeping records of purchased items as required by law. Both Reed and Detective Thomas A. Svec said Nguyen and his nephew, Anjay Nguyen, of Agawam, often were not cooperative.

Anjay Nguyen said some records were incomplete because he or his uncle were too busy. Anjay and Vien Nguyen said they had seen police at the store only once or twice.

Housebreak probe leads to store

Reed said an investigation into a housebreak on Oct. 25 led them to Game Hunter II because a suspect reported selling two items, an iPod and a stereo docking system, to the store. At first, Nguyen said he didn't recall buying such things, but later said one was in his trunk and the other was at his home, Reed said.

In addition, there was no documentation and no tags on the items saying when they were purchased, both of which are required, Reed said.

Second-hand dealers must keep items for 30 days in the shop before they can be moved or sold, he said.

Subsequently, the owner of the stolen items said the ones recovered at Game Hunter II were not hers, Reed said.

Svec and Reed said that they and several other officers had repeatedly told Nguyen and his nephew how to keep records properly. "We explained it over and over," Reed said.

Police from 3 towns report problems

Reed said state police, Agawam police and Enfield police have all been led to the store in pursuit of stolen items and found problems with the record-keeping. "Game Hunter (II) has turned into a safe haven for stolen goods in the area," Reed told the board.

Nguyen said he will do better when he reopens and will follow the recommendations of the police.

He also said he will talk to the owner of another second-hand dealer in West Springfield who police said keeps good records and refuses to deal with those he believes are lawbreakers.

"They've had it with you," Maleck told Nguyen, referring to the Police Department. "We're willing to give you a second chance."

In addition to the suspended license, commissioners also voted to order police to close the store permanently if the owner opened for business during the license suspension. In addition, commissioners told police to let them know if there was one violation after the store reopens. If that happens, the license will be revoked, Maleck said.